William Willett

  General Notes:

In the 1733 census of Prince George's Co., MD William was dwelling in his father's home. About 4 years later he married Mary Griffith. According to the will of his father, Edward Willett, William received a 43-acre tract called "Beall's Craft" and the home plantation of his father called "Bealington." Besides land his father bequeathed "unto My Said Son, William Willett all My Pewterers Moulds and Other Tools thereunto Belonging provided he Doth make what necessary pewter the rest of my children shall want for their own proper use in their house they finding Mettle." With his brothers Thomas and James and his sister Ann Swan, he received two tracts of land called "Little Doan" and "Horserace" and the personal estate of his father.

William Willett did carry on the pewterer business of his father. In the Maryland Gazette on Thursday 1/8/1756 and for the six Thursdays thereafter William ran the following ad, "William Willett, Pewterer living about 2 miles from Upper Marlborough on the Blandensburg Road now moulds old Pewter at 9d per pound or will return one half good new Pewter for any quantify of old and to be cast in whatever forms the employer pleases, either flat or soup dishes, or flat or soup plates. N.B. He will wait on any employer within 20 or 30 miles to receive their old or return their new pewter, and they may depend on being faithfully and honestly dealt with." William Willett of Prince George's Co., MD made most of the pewter ware that went to Kentucky in early days and some by his father Edward.

William married Mary Griffith, daughter of George Griffith and Unknown, about 1737. (Mary Griffith was born about 1720 in Prince George's Co., MD and died about 12 Aug 1794 in Nelson Co., KY.)